Ganja
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- For the city in Tajikistan, see Panj.
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| Municipality: | Ganja | |
| Area: | 1000 km² | |
| Altitude: | 408 m | |
| Population: | 305,600 census 2006 | |
| Postal Code: | AZ1000 | |
| Area code: | 016 | |
| Municipality code: | GA | |
| Latitude: | 40° 40' 58 N | |
| Longitude: | 46° 21' 38 E | |
| Mayor: | Eldar Azizov | |
Ganja IPA: [gæn'ʤæ] (Azerbaijani: Gəncə, Persian: گنجه/Ganj-ja) is Azerbaijan's second largest city.
The city was most likely founded in the 5th century AD,[1] although local tradition and archeological excavations allow for city authorities to celebrate 2,500 years of existence.[2] "Ganja" comes from the Middle Persian ganj (گنج: "treasure, treasury"),[3].
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History
Historically an important city of Caucasian Albania and Arran region, Ganja was part of Sassanid empire, Great Seljuk Empire, Atabegs of Azerbaijan, Il-Khans [4], Timurids [5], Jalayirids[6], Qara Qoyunlu[7], Ak Koyunlu[8][1], and the Ganja Khanate, Ganja is also the birthplace of the famous poet Nizami. People of Ganja experienced a temporary cultural decline after an earthquake in 1139 and then again after the Mongol invasion in 1231. The city was revived after the Safavids came to power. For a short period of time, Ganja was renamed Abbasabad by Shah Abbas I.[9] During the Safavid rule, it was the capital of the Karabakh (Ganja) beylerbey[10], one of the four such administrative units and principalities.[11] In 1747, Ganja became the capital of the independent Ganja Khanate. According to the October 1813 Gulistan Treaty, Ganja khanate and city, together with most of Azerbaijan and Georgia, was recognized as part of Russian Empire after Persia's defeat in the Persia-Russia wars.[12] It was renamed Elizavetpol after the wife of Alexander I of Russia, Elizabeth.
In 1918, Ganja became the temporary capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, at which point it was renamed Ganja again, until Baku was recaptured from the British backed Centrocaspian Dictatorship. In 1920, the Red Army occupied Azerbaijan and in 1935 Joseph Stalin renamed the city Kirovabad after Sergei Kirov. In 1991, Azerbaijan re-established its independence, and the ancient name of the city was given back.
Today Ganja is the second largest city in Azerbaijan. [2] According to the official government data, at the beginning of 2006, the population of Ganja was 305,600.[13][14] It has an international airport, and is home to the Nizami Mausoleum, re-built in 1991.
Historic Armenian Community
In addition to Muslims, the city has had a numerically, economically and culturally significant Armenian community.[15] Among the Armenians, the city is known as Gandzak (Գանձակ). The medieval historian Movses Kaghankatvatzi mentions that it was founded in the district called in Arshakashen (Արշակաշեն)[16] The word Gandzak is likewise associated with the concept of treasure or riches - gandz (Arm. - գանձ). The city’s Armenians left mostly in 1989, in the process of forced population exchanges that defined the Karabakh conflict.
The city's historically important Christian figures include (see links below): Kirakos Gandzaketsi (Կիրակոս Գանձակեցի, 1201-1271, author of the History of the Armenians [17]), Mkhitar Gosh (Մխիթար Գոշ, c. 1130–1213) author of the Code of Laws that was used in Armenia, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and Armenian diasporan groups in Europe, and Grigor Paron-Ter (Գրիգոր Պարոն Տեր, 1560-1645) - Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Education
Ganja is home to four major institutes for post-secondary education.
- Ganja State University
- Azerbaijan State Agricultural Academy
- Azerbaijan Technological University
- Azerbaijan Teachers Institute, Ganja Branch
Famous People
Ganja is known for its famous people:
- Nizami Ganjavi
- Mahsati Ganjavi
- Javad Khan
- Kirakos Gandzaketsi
- Mkhitar Gosh
- Grigor Paron-Ter
- Mirza Shafi Vazeh
- Mirza Topchubashov
- Israfil Mammadov
- Fikrat Amirov
- Nigar Rafibeyli
Pictures of Ganja
 The Nizami Ganjavi Monument in Ganja |
 Ganja archeological museum |
 Ganja city hall |
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 Ganja State Academy of Sciences |
 One of the many statues of Nizami Ganjavi |
 Ganja downtown |
 A street in Ganja |
 Shakh Abbas Mosque |
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 Decorated houses of Ganja |
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 Nizami Ganjavi Main Statue in Ganja |
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References
- ^ Encyclopedia Iranica, "Ganja", C. Edmund Bosworth
- ^ Ganja Media Center
- ^ ibid., Iranica
- ^ Iran. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 17, 2007
- ^ Timurid Dynasty. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 16, 2007
- ^ Jalayirid. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 17, 2007
- ^ Kara Koyunlu. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2007
- ^ Ak Koyunlu. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 17, 2007
- ^ Seyyaf Sednik oqli Pashayev. The Monuments of Ganja Khanate of the Period form 1606 - 1804. Retrieved on February 16, 2007.
- ^ "Beglerbeg" in Cyclopædia dictionary, (ed. Ephraim Chambers), First Volume, London: Printed for J. and J. Knapton (and 18 others), 1728, p. 95 (accessed March 17, 2007)
- ^ I.Petrushevskiy. Ocherki po istorii feodal'nikh otnosheniy d Azerbaijane i Armenii v XVI - nach. XIX vv., Leningrad, 1949, p. 122, in Russian
- ^ John F. Baddeley, "The Russian conquest of the Caucasus", London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1908, p. 67, citing "Tsitsianoff's report to the Emperor: Akti, ix (supplement), p. 920".
- ^ The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, "Population by economic regions at the beginning of the 2006"
- ^ Census table for Azerbaijani cities
- ^ Soviet Census in 1926-1979, Newspaper Pravda Press, Moscow, 1983
- ^ History of the Caucasian Albanians by Movses Dasxuranci, C.J.F. Dowsett trans. (London 1961), chapter 21.
- ^ Kirakos, Gandzaketsi, History of the Armenians, New York: Sources of the Armenian Tradition, 1986.
External links
- Ganja - The memories of stones
- Ganja Automobile Factory
- Ganja at the Azerbaijan Development Gateway
- Historical Monuments of Ganja
- Article in Russian about the last days of the Armenian community of Gandzak/Ganja
| Subdivisions of Azerbaijan |  |
|---|---|
| Districts: Absheron | Agdam | Agdash | Agjabadi | Agstafa | Agsu | Astara | Babek* | Balakan | Barda | Beylagan | Bilasuvar | Dashkasan | Davachi | Fizuli | Gadabay | Goranboy | Goychay | Hajigabul | Imishli | Ismailli | Jabrayil | Jalilabad | Julfa* | Kalbajar | Kangarli* | Khachmaz | Khanlar | Khizi | Khojali | Khojavend | Kurdamir | Lachin | Lankaran | Lerik | Masally | Neftchala | Oguz | Ordubad* | Qabala | Qakh | Qazakh | Qobustan | Quba | Qubadli | Qusar | Saatly | Sabirabad | Sadarak* | Salyan | Samukh | Shakhbuz* | Shaki | Shamakhi | Shamkir | Sharur* | Shusha | Siazan | Tartar | Tovuz | Ujar | Yardymli | Yevlakh | Zangilan | Zaqatala | Zardab Municipalities: Ali Bayramli | Baku | Ganja | Khankendi | Lankaran | Mingachevir | Naftalan | Nakhichevan City* | Shaki | Sumqayit | Shusha | Yevlakh Asterisks indicate parts of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic |
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